#beltany

[panoramicireland]

An edge of Beltany stone circle in Donegal, Ireland.

Under a grey sky, 64 large upright standing stones arranged in a large circle have stood for thousands of years on a commanding hill overlooking the surrounding countryside.

[princessmia-tarot]

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[autumnsaurora]

Happy Beltaine

[adventuringsidhe]

Beltaine - An Ancient Irish Celebration of Nature

Sometimes, as an Irish person, I get a little irked when I see people on Youtube especially; spout a lot of stuff about Beltaine which is complete nonsense. I’m fine if they want to create that nonsense for themselves, but in terms of the real historical Beltaine festival, which originated in Ireland (given the name like lol!) and celebrated in other celtic cultures such as Scotland and Isle of Man.

Excerpt from Newgrange.org:

In Irish mythology, the beginning of the summer season started with the Fire Festival at Beltane. Great bonfires would mark a time of purification and transition, heralding in the season in the hope of a good harvest later in the year, and were accompanied with rituals to protect the people from any harm by otherworldly spirits. At the Beltany (Beltony) Stone Circle in the North West of Ireland, the sunrise at Beltane is aligned with the only decorated stone in the circle. The Beltany Stone Circle gets its name from Beltane which is associated with the lighting of hilltop fires in a rekindling of the sun.

The Beltany Stone Circle (Above) astronomical alignment is not precise as at Newgrange, it is more circumstantial, the Stone Circle gets its name from Beltane and the sun rises at Beltane behind the only stone that is decorated.

(above) Drombeg Stone Circle - Ireland.

Look, I get that people feel connections to things and want to be a part of it, and sometimes I’m a little over protective of my Irish heritage, because - well, our history is one of a lot of strife, oppression and tyranny. Centuries of it.

But I’m getting off topic, and you get my meaning. We had to fight tooth and nail, claw our way to keeping what precious remained of our culture and as someone who feels very close to her ancestors, its lands, and the ancient Pagans of a world long gone from us, I want to protect their memory.

If you ever come to Ireland, visit these places, the stone circles, the ancient forests covered in bluebells and smells of wild garlic, where you’ll see deers run wild. Hear the chirping of birds and rays if sunlight through tall trees - that is what it means to be connected to your ancestors. To know they seen the same sights as you, heard the same sounds, felt the same feelings of awe and wonder at the world that birthed you. By all means celebrate your beliefs whatever way you want, but please don’t mold an already established celebration and festival to what you want it to be, rather than what it is. 

Ancient cultures such as the Neolithic (Stone Age) people who built Newgrange in Ireland aligned their monuments to the major solar events, the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. The solar year was further divided to mark the half way points between the major solar events giving the cross quarter days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. 

Newgrange.org

This site below gives a good understanding of the ‘fire festival’. Their will be a giant fire lit this 1st of May here in Ireland.

http://branawen.blogspot.com/2010/04/beltaine-festival-of-sacred-fire.html

Dance, have fun, eat be merry, and be respectful.

And then rest, and enjoy the last of spring and the coming of summer.

[jareckiworld]

David O’Kane -  Beltany   (oil on canvas, 2015)

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